By the President of the United States of America,
A PROCLAMATION.
Whereas the Government of His Britannic Majesty has entered into a Commercial Agreement with the United States providing for the application of the minimum rate under the third section of the Tariff Act of the United States approved July 24, 1897, to works of art, being the product of the industry of the United Kingdom, in return for the free admission of samples of dutiable goods brought into the territory of the United Kingdom by commercial travelers of the United States, by which Agreement, in the judgment of the President, [Page 578] reciprocal and equivalent concessions are secfured in favor of products of the United States;
Therefore, be it known that I, Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States of America, acting under the authority conferred by said Act of Congress, do hereby suspend during the continuance in force of said Agreement the imposition and collection of the duties imposed by the first section of said act upon the articles hereinafter specified, being the products of the industry of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and do declare in place thereof the rate of duty provided in the third section of said act to be in force, as follows:
Paintings in oil or water colors, pastels, pen and ink drawings, and statuary, fifteen per centum ad valorem.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington this fifth day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and thirty-second.
| [seal.] | Theodore Roosevelt |
By the President:
Elihu Root
Secretary of State.
The Government of the United States of America and the Government of His Britannic Majesty, being desirous of facilitating and extending the commercial relations existing between their respective countries, but without prejudice to the views held by each of them as to the interpretation of the “most-favoured-nation” Article of the Convention of Commerce between the two countries signed at London on the 3rd July, 1815, mutually agree as follows:
- 1.
- In order to facilitate the clearance through the Customs Department of the United Kingdom of samples of dutiable goods brought into the territory of the United Kingdom by commercial travellers of the United States of America, such samples being for use as models or patterns for the purpose of obtaining orders, and not for sale, His Majesty’s Government agrees that the marks, stamps, or seals placed upon such samples by the Customs authorities of the United States of America at the time of exportation, and the officially attested list of such samples, containing a full description thereof issued by the proper authority, shall be accepted by the Customs officials of the United Kingdom as establishing their character as samples, and exempting them from inspection on importation, except so far as may be necessary to establish that the samples produced are those enumerated on the list. The Customs authorities of the United Kingdom may, however, affix a supplementary mark to such samples in special cases where they may think this precaution necessary.
- 2.
- The Government of the United States of America agrees to extend to the United Kingdom the special reduction of duty on paintings in oil or water colours, pastels, pen and ink drawings, and statuary, being the product of the industry of the United Kingdom, authorized under section 3 of the Tariff Act of the United States, approved the 24th July, 1897.
- 3.
- This agreement shall continue in force until six months from the date when either party shall notify the other of its intention to terminate it.
[seal]
[seal]
[For correspondence relative to customs administration see under Germany, p. 494.]